The Dec. 27 article highlights how extremists are finding new ways to fundraise.
An article from The Guardian on the use of cryptocurrencies to support right-wing extremists groups in Australia features insights from Professor of Computer Science Megan Squire.
The article cited an analysis from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on which Squire served as co-author that found a cohort of white supremacists generated “substantial profit” from bitcoin by getting in early and giving them access to funds “that would almost certainly be unavailable to them without cryptocurrency.”
“The technology and some simple interface solutions can start to … lower the barrier to entry and make it easier for ‘Joe Blow’ user to actually donate,” Squire said.
According to Squire, there be a renewed push into cryptocurrencies by the far-right.
“The tech for keeping yourself secret is a lot better now than it was in 2017 after Unite the Right in Charlottesville, which was the last big moment when a lot of these guys moved onto crypto,” Squire said.
“There are more coins, there are more services. It’s harder to get a handle on,” Squire added.
The full article can be read here.